Elevator-controlling device



Sept. 20, 1927.

C. GOEBERT ET AL ELEVATOR CONTROLLING DEVICE Filed June 14, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet .l

In Y'en zohi 1,642,674 Sept. 20, 1927- c EBERT 1.5

ELEVATOR CONTROLLING DEVICE Filed June 14, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 29, 1927..

STATES CONRAD GOEBERT ANID OTTO KUGLER, SR.

when I OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AS-

sIeNons 'ro OTIS ELEVATOR ooMrANY, or JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A con- PORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

ELEVATOR-CONTBQLLING DEVICE.

Application filed June 14,

This invention relates to elevators and more-particularly to means for effecting a positive stopping of the elevator at predetermined positions automatically, the sam being principally useful for effecting a stopping of the elevator platform at the various floors. Another object is to provide the combinationof an elevator car withmeans to raise and lower the same, motor-driven means to effect said raising and lowering, electrical means for regulating said last-named'means, fixed means corresponding with the position of the floors at which the elevator is adapted to stop, and means carried by the elevator and co-operating with said fixed means, whereby through suitable electric circuits the motor is stopped so that the. elevator altitude thereby governed is arrested at predetermined positions.

A further object is to provide such a construction and operation as the foregoing, as a result of which the stopping of an elevator will uniformly and permanently be subr stantially in exact accordance with the positions of the respective floors, regardless of the expansion, contraction or stretching of the elevator-supporting cable or other means, regardless of the angular position or number of rotations of the cable-drum or the like, as the case may be, or of any other elements extraneous to theelevator itself and the'said fixed means.

Still another object is to provide the combination with the foregoing structure, means for operating the elevator at two or more speeds, and so constructing and arranging the stopping means and the fixed means that the co-operation of the stopping means with said fixed means automatically changes from one speed to the otherat predetermined positions or intervals with regard to the various" fioor positions.

And a still further object is to provide suitable electro-magnetic or manually-actuated means for resetting the stopping device, so that the motor for driving the cabledrum or sheave may thereupon be made to restart the movement of the elevator either up or down as may be desired.

And yet another object is to provide the improved automatic stopping device and fixed member in combination with manuallyactuatedmeans for controlling the starting a 1923. Serial No. 645,299.

and stopping of the elevator independently of the said device, and so arranged that by a further movement of said manually-actuated means the said stopping device is either mechanically or electrically thrown into operative position so that it will function automatically to arrest the movement of the elevator independently of the said manuallyactuated means. In this construction, the latch or equivalent mechanism is provided in the stopping device, whereby the contact board is maintained in a given position, while the manually-actuated means and the sliding-bar of the stopping device return to their original positions, whereupon a cam or its equivalent carried by said bar actuates the latch to release the contact-board, so that the latter re-establishes the circuits passing through the stopping device, this being for the purpose of preventing the re-starting of the elevator'before such is intended as the manually actuated means is being returned to its neutral position.

With these and other objects in view, the present invention comprises further novel details of construction and'operation hereinafter fully brought out in the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. '1 illustrates diagrammatically a typical twospeed automatic push-button controlled elevator, together with our improved stopping apparatus; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of the stopping device, comprising certain of the mechanical features of the invention; Fig. 3 is a modified arrangement ofelectric circuits controlled by a car-switch, together with the improved stopping apparatus; and Fig. 4 is a view of the mechanical elements of Fig. 3, and shown in' substantially the same manner as, Fig. 2.

The electric hoisting motor M may be elevator motor M are designated D and U, Dcontrolling the motor for the descending travel of the car, and U for ascending. The mode of operating the reversing switches by. means of solenoids is well known and common practice, therefore further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. An accelerating magnet F operates in a well known manner to cut out the motor starting resistance R and series-field winding S. A speed device V also operates in a well known manner to increase and decrease the speed of the motor.

Different landings or stopping points are designated L. L and L car push-buttons 4, 4, 4, hall push-buttons, 5, 5, 5", door contacts (L'd'. al, floor magnet relay switches 6, 6, 6", non-interference magnet 7, car-holding magnet 8, floor controller switches 9, 9, 9", 9". The elements thus far described are well known and'have a well-known mode of operation.

Electrical mains supplying a relatively high voltage, sayfor example, 220 or 440 volts, are desingated +-and Operation of the apparatus as a whole and through a complete cycle of operation will now be given.

With the parts as illustrated in the drawing, the car is at rest, level with the second floor landing. Let us assume now that it is desired to bring the car to the first floor landing, by pressing thecar push-button 4 This operation closes a circuit for the Wind,- ing 14 of the reversing switch D, as follows:

, From main to wire 15 throu h the door 2 b contacts to wire 16, one wmdmg of the noninterference magnet 7 to wire 17, winding of protecting magnet 8 to wire 18, push-button 4 towire 60, through winding of floor magnet 6 to wire 19, through floor controller contacts 9 to wire 20, to wire through reversing switch coil 14 to wire 21 to wire 21 to wire 22, through auxiliary contacts 23 on the third accelerating hammer (which is at rest due to not yet being in operation) wire 24,-to the line. e In order to maintain a circuit for the reversing switch coil 14 when the car push button is released, a second circuit is automatically formed by the current coming through the one winding of the non-interference magnet 7 in the same manner as heretofore mentioned and thence to wire 25, through magnet coil 2.5 (the object of which will be defined later) to wire 26 and through the contacts ofrelay 6 (which are already closed by the former operation) and thence to wire 19 through floor controller contacts'f) to wire 20, to wire 20%, through coil 14 to wire 21, to wire 2111;. now through v the normal operation of the accelerating switch, the circuit through contacts 23 is broken. consequently the circuit continues through wire 21%; to contact 26, to contact formed by the currentcoming through the w one winding of the non-interference magnet 7 in the same manner as heretofore mentioned, and thence to wire 17 to wire 46, through auxiliary contacts 47, ,on reversing switches to wire 48, to wire 20 through coil 14, wire 21, wire 21 contact 26, contact 27, contact 28, wire 29, and line.

The winding 14 now receiving current closes the reversing switch with all its contacts with the exception of contacts 34 which are broken during this operation and the elevator motor M, field winding S and S, and brake winding 3 are thereby con nected to the high voltage mains and The motor circuit may be traced as follows: From the main through contact 30 and insulated contact 30%, to wire 31, contacts 32, to wire 33, through motor M to wire 34, through one contact 34 on reversing switch arm, through reversing switch arm I), con' tacts 35, wire 36, through starting resistance and series field winding S to line. The shunt field and brake circuits are closed through'auxiliary contacts 37 cohtrolled by the reversing switch. The brake shoe 1 is now released by the magnet 3, and the motor M rotates to start the car in a descending direction, the motor being gradually accelerated to its-first speed by the operation of the accelerating magnet F in gradually'cutting out the starting resistance and series field winding. The current for energizing accelerating magnet coil F is obtained through wire 39 which is connected to contacts 38 on the reversing switch D.

In order to obtain the second or full speed of the motor, a series of resistance 12 is placed in shunt field circuit thereby weakening the fields. This method for increasing the speed of the motor as well as decreasing the speed is well known and standard practice, therefore, it is thought sufiicient only to define the circuit which controls the speed magnet V. The reversing switch D being closed, forms a circuit as follows: From contact 38, to wire 39, to wire 4O, through speed magnet coil V to wire 41, through contacts 42 on the. fourth accelerating hammer (which is now closed through normal operation mentioned heretofore), to wire 43, to contact 44, through contacts 45, to contact 46, to wire 4?,and the line.

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It will probably be well to mention that the non-interference magnet operates to open its contacts and thereby open circuits the 7 and 8 is thought sufficient, since the circuits 7 controlled thereby are well known.

The elevator car now descends, and just I before stopping device G on car comes withthe motor.

in the range of hatchway incline 13*, the floor controller is set so that in performing its regular function it breaks its contacts 9 and thereby opens the circuit to coil 25 and releases sliding bar 54: of stopping device G, said bar is forced out by spring 10 so that roller 11 will engage hatch incline 13 In doing so, the contact board 51 is pulled forward slightly or just suflicient to break the circuit between contacts 44 and 46, thereby releasing magnet coil V, which in turn allows the speed device to perform its regular function of decreasing the speed of The car. still continuing to de scend, now comes in range of hatchway incline M which engages roller 11 and the contact board is'again pulled forward so that the circuit between contacts 26 and 28 broken, thereby releasing coil 14: which allows the reversing switch to drop to its initial position, and in this manner the elec trical circuits controlled thereby to the motor, brake winding, etc., are opened and the brake shoe is applied to bring the elevator car to rest.

The essential elements of the push-button system and the elevator-stopping apparatus operate, conjointly, to control the elevator car for ascending direction of travel substantially in the same manner as hasjust been described for the descending direction of ravel, these elements furthermore, operating to control the car, in the same manner for both the car and ball push-button operations. It is therefore thought that a detailed description for these modes of operaion is unnecessary.

The construction of the stopping mechanism for controlling the stopping of the car at the desired floor, is shown in Figure 2 and consists essentially of the contact board 51 constructed of insulating material and carrying the elongated contact plate 27 for bridging between contacts 28 and 26, and the oppositely disposed and interconnected plates d5 for bridging the'contacts 44 and 46. The board 51 is mo'vablysupported by a bar 50 which may be of metal. A spring 52 tends to reset the contact board when coil 25 A) is energized tor operation. The bar 50 is slidalolein bearings 53 of any suitable construction.

There is a second bar indicated at 54:

which undcrlays both the bar 50 and the contact board 51, but which is slidably mounted also in bearings 53. The one end of this bar 54: is attached to core of the magnetic coil 25 so that when the latter is energized, the bar 54 will be drawn inwardly out of co-operative relation with; the inclines 13 and let in the hatchway. When coil 25% is not energized spring 1O tends to force the bar 54: outwardly into co-operative relation with the hatchway inclines. Pivotally mounted on the outer end of the bar 54 is a lever 56 which carries a. roller 11 at one end and which is pivotally connected at the other. end with a link 57 the inner portion of which is slotted at 58 and connected with the bar 50 by a pin 59 passing through the slot 58.

The operation of this mechanism is as follows: l/Vhen any button is pushed to start the car, the solenoid or coil 25 is energized thereby drawing in bar 54: and permitting bar5'0 to move the contact board 51 by means of spring 52 so as to close the circuits. The car progresses to within a predetermined distance of the desired floor when the circuit through the solenoid 25 is auto explained, this efi'ects a slowing down or retardation of the speed of the car. Roller 11 then rides up the incline 14c and thereby shifts theboard sufliciently to break the circuit through the contact members 26, 27 and 28, so that the power is shut off and the brake is applied as above mentioned which effects the complete stopping of the car.

In the form shown in Figures 3 and 4, there is used a large part of the same wiring and mechanism as in the push-button type, and such parts and wires are designated with the same numerals as in the former instance. The parts which vary from the former part ofthe disclosure will now be described in detail. v

The type of elevator here dealt with is that known as the car switch controlled clevator and is intended to be operated manually from a switch H within the car. The essence of the invent-ion as applied to this type of elevator is to provide means whereby the operator after selecting the floor at which he desires to stop the car, causes the actual stopping to be done automatically.

This requires no skill on the part of the operator and at the same time efi ects a uni- ..form stop.

The switch H is provided with a weighted self returning lever 75 and has attached on one end a lateral spindle, on which is mounted a handle 76. 4

There is also attached to lever 75 an in* sulated pivot-ed segmental contact 78, which engages contacts 79 and 79, both of which are connected to the plus main by means of wire 15. There are also mounted in the switch downcontact 80 and up contact 81, and full speed contacts 82 and 82, which are connected together by wire 83.

The switch just described is standard equipment and the mode of operation is well known.

The frame 77 of switch H is provided with the usual-limiting shoulder90 for limiting the -movement of handle 76 in either direction in effecting the elevating or lowering the car. It is, however, desirable'in a mechanical embodiment which is shown and described later to be able to'move the handle 76 beyond this usual limit to shoulder 95 in order to set the stopping mechanism to break the circuits and stop the car at the predetermined position.

The stopping device G itself for car switch controlled elevators is somewhat modified in that it has an additional set of contacts for the up motion, same being numbered 98-99-100. When the car islat rest, all the contacts on stopping device are made ready for operation, whereas with thestopping device for push-button elevators the contacts are open when elevator is at rest. The slidable bar 54' instead of being controlled by a solenoid-as in the case of the push-button, elevator is controlled by mechanical means as follows.

' Attached to the lever 7 5 iiithe switch H sired to bring the car to the first floor landing. The operator pulls the handle 76 out' Y is pivoted a depending link 84 having at its lower end a slot 85, in which there rides a pin 86 extending -laterally from one arm of bell crank- 87 conveniently mounted in proper relation to operate the bar 54. One of the arms oflever 87 is connected with the bar 54 by a pin and slot connection 88.

With the parts as illustrated in the drawing, the car is at rest, level with the second floor landing. Let us assume now it is deward in order'to allow same to pass the shoulder forming the hollow portion of frame 77, and moves said handle clockwise to the right until contact 78 bridges contacts 7 9 and 80, this forms a circuit for reversing switch coil 14 as follows. From maint'o wire15, contact 79, contact 78, contact 80, wire 89, contact 26,- contact 27, contact 28, wire 20, coil 14, wire 21,- wire 21 to line. The coil 14 now receiving current cloes the reversing switch with its contacts and the elevator motor M,'field windings s and s' and brake winding 3 are thereby connected The to resume its normal relation to the lever 7 5 and at the same time continues to move the lever clockwise until it reaches shoul-- der 9() .on frame- 77,-thereby allowing con-. tact 78 to also bridge contact 82. This forms the circuit for the-speed device coilas follows. From main to wire 15, contact 79,

contact 78, contact 82, wire 83, wire 91, contact 46, contact 45, contact 44, 'wire 92, aux-' iliarycontacts 42 on fourth hammer of accelerating switch" F, wire 93, coil V, wire 94, to line. This circuit being completed, the speed device performs its function of increasing the speed of the motor, the same as mentioned in' the specification for the.

push-button elevator. The elevator car now descends and before stopping device G comes within range of incline 13, the operator again pulls handle 7 6 outward in order to allow same to avoid shoulder and again-he moves handle 76 clockwise to finally stop shoulder In doing .so, all the circuits made in the car switch and as .well as the circuits on the stopping switch Gr remain intact. The segmental contact 78 in the car switch is made large enough tobridge contacts 79 and 82 even with the additional'movementof the handle 76 which efl'ects the stopping of the elevator hereafter brought out.

When the handle 76 was moved to its final stop shoulder 95, the lever 75 raised link 84 so that the lower end of the slot 85 engaged pin' 86 and operated bell crank lever 87 to move the slidable bar 54 outwardly, thereby bringing roller 11 into co-operative rethese inclines are reached the stopping device G is operated similarly to the manner described in connection with the push-button elevator so as to break the circuits which have been formed and ultimately effecting a complete stop of the elevator.

lln order to use the stopping. device G in connection with bar switch controlled ele-. vators, it is necessary to provide a spring operated latch arrangement to hold the contact board 51 in the outward position after the circuits formed by its contacts are broken. This is done sons to prevent any circuit being formed through the car switch contacts while the lever 75. isbeing returned to its normal position when the elevator is at rest. The lever 75 automatically .resets link 84, lever 87-, and slidable reeaeva bar 54. In resetting bar 54, cam 96 mounted on the same raises latch 97 and releases contact board 51, which resets itself by means of spring 52 for another operation. The cam 96 is arranged on bar 54: so as to perform its function of raising latch 97 just prior to the lever assuming its initial position on centre or directly after contact 78 in car switch has disengaged contact 80.

The essential elements of the car switch system and the stopping apparatus operate, conjointly, to control the elevator car for ascending direction of travel substantially in the same manner as has just been described for the descending directlon or travel. lit is therefore thought that a detail description for this mode of operation is unnecessary.

"While we have described what we deem to be the most desirable embodiment of our invention, it is obvious that many of the parts may be varied without in any way departing from the spirit of our invention, and we therefore do not limit ourselves to the exact details of construction herein shown,

' nor to anything less than the whole of our invention limited only by the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. An electric elevator system comprising, a car switch operable from 03 position to a position to cause the starting ofthe car and being movable in the same direction from oil position beyond the starting position to a stop position, and means for causing the stopping of the car upon movement of said car switch into stop position.

2. An electric elevator system comprising, a car switch operable from off position to a position to cause the starting of the car and being movable in the same direction from off position beyond the starting positionto a stop position, and means for bringing the car to a stop level with a landing upon movement of said car switch into stop position.

3. An electric elevator system comprising, a car switch operable from ofi' position to a position to cause the starting or the carand being movable in the same direction from off position beyond the startin position to a stop position, and means for causing the stopping of the car upon movement of said car .switch into stop position and, once the car switch has-been moved into stop position, for preventing the control of the car by said car switch until after it has been returned to oiit position.

4. An electric elevator system comprising, a car switch operable from off position to a position to cause the starting or the car and being movable in the same direction from ofi? position beyond the starting position to a stop position, and means for causing-the carried by the car and movable by said car i switch, upon its movement beyond said operatlve position, into a position for causing the car to be brought to a stop level with a landing.

6.. An electric elevator system comprisin a car switch carried by the car and operab e from oil position into an operative position to cause the starting and running of the car, said switch being movable beyond said operative position, switching mechanism also carried by the car and having a position for permitting the starting and runnng of the car, and means connecting said car switch and said switching mechanism for causing, upon movement of said car switch beyond said operative position, movement of said switching mechanism into position for causing the car to be brought to a stop level with a landing.

7. An electric elevator system comprising, a car switch carried by the car and operable from OH position into an operative position to cause the starting and running of thecar, said switch being movable beyond said operative position, switching mechanism also carried by the car and having a position for permitting the starting and running of the car, means connecting said car switch and said switching mechanism for causing, upon movement of said car switch beyond said operative position, movement of said switch,

ing mechanism into a second position without interrupting the running of the car, and means cooperating with said switchino mechanism, uponits being moved into saiu cond position, to cause the car to be brought to a stop level with the desired landing.

An electric elevator system comprising, a carswitch having an off position and being movable in one direction from off position into an operative position to cause the start.- ing and running of the car in one direction and in the other direction from off position into an operative position to cause the start ing and running of the car in the other direction and beingfurther movable beyond its operative positions in each direction, and means fo causing the stopping of the car at a landing upon movement of said our switch beyond either operative position.

9. An electric elevator system comprising, a car switch movable from oil position into one operative position and, upon continu d iii movement in the same direct-ion, into a second position, means for causing the starting of the car, upon movement of said switch into said one operative position, and for causing the stopping of the car at any point, upon the return of said switch into oif position, and means for causing the car to be broughtto a stop automatically at a landing upon movement of said switch into said second position.

10. The combination of an elevator car, motor-driven means to raise andlower the same, electrical means for regulating said last-named means, fixed means corresponding with the positions of the floors at which the car is adapted to stop, means carried by the car and co-operating with said fixed means,

. whereby through suitable electric circuits the motor-driven means stops the car at substantially any predetermined altitude and the starting of the car is thereafter prevented, and'means operative to reset said means carried by the car to permit the restarting of the car.-

11. The combination of an elevator car, motor-driven means to raise and lower the same, automatic stopping means carried by the car, means fixed with respect to the hatch or shaft, manually-actuated means to control the speed and direction of said first means through suitable electric circuits, said manual means also being operative in one position to set the stopping means whereby upon the stopping means engaging the fixed means the car is brought to a stop at substantially a predetermined altitude and the starting of the car is prevented, said manual means upon being removed from said position to oil position causing the resetting of the stopping means to permit the restarting of the motordriven means.

12. The combination of an elevator car,

motor-driven means to raise and lower the same, automaticistopping means carried by the car, means fixed with respect to the hatch or shaft, manually-actuated means to control the speed and direction of said first means through suitable electric circuits, said manual means also bein operativein one position to set the stopping means whereby upon the stopping means engaging the fixed means the car is brought to a stop at substan tially a predetermined altitude and the starting of the car is prevented, said manual means also being operative to reset the stopping means to permit the restarting of the first means and car.

13. The combination of an elevator car,

motor-driven means to raise andlower the same, automatic-stopping means carried by the car, means fixed with respect to the hatch or shaft, manually actuated means to 0011-.

trol the speed and direction of said first means through suitable electric circuits, said manualmeans alsobeing operative in one pQ-p sition to set the stopping means whereby.

upon the,stopping means engaging the fixed means the car is broughtto a stop automatically at substantially apredetermined. altitude and the starting of the car is prevented, said manual means upon being removed from said position to a given position causing the resetting of the stopping means to permit the restarting of the motor-driven means, and

' latch means to delay the complete resetting the car, switching mechanism carriedby the car, means for moving said switching mechanism into a position to-cause the stopping of the car, means for latching said mechanism in its stopping position, and means operable by said car switch, upon its movement into a given position, to release said latching means. 16. An electric elevator system comprising, a car switch for'causing the starting of the car, switching mechanism "carried by the car, means for moving said switching inecha nism into a position to cause the stopping of the car, means for latching said mechanism in its stopping position to prevent restarting of the car, and means for releasing said latching means and for resetting said mechanism to permit restarting of the car upon movement of said car switch into a given position. An electric elevator system comprising, a car switch for causing the starting of the car, switching mechanism carried by the car, means for moving said switching mechanism into a position to cause the'stopping of the car and to prevent the restarting of the car, said car' switch being operable, upon movement into agiven position, to cause the resetting of said switching mechanism into position to permitthe restarting of'theca'r, and latching means for preventing the complete resetting-of said mechanism until said controller switch substantially reachessaid given position.

18. The combination of-' an elevator car, motor-driven means to raise and lower the same, electrical means for controlling the operation of said last named means, fixed means corresponding with the position of the elevations at which the car is intended/to stop, a stopping device carried by'the car and co-operating with the fixed means, wherebythrough suitable electrical circuits the motor-driven means stops the car as it lOO 19. The combination of an elevator car,v

motor-driven means to raise and lower the same, electrical means for controlling the operation of said last-named means, fixed means corresponding with the position of the elevations at Whichthe car is intended to stop, a stopping device carried by the car and co-operating with the fixed means,

whereby through suitalole electrical circuits the motor-driven means first decreases the.

speed of the car upon approaching a given elevation, and then stops the car as it reaches the said given elevation, said stopping device remaining in position to prevent restarting of the car, and means for resetting the stopping device to permit restarting of the car.

In testimony whereof We have affixed on signatures.

CONRAD GOEBERT. OTTO KUGLER, sR. 

